Variegated red-barked dogwood

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; light afternoon shade helps prevent leaf scorch in hotter locations.

Water

Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during establishment and dry summers. Established plants tolerate brief dry spells but are not drought-tolerant.

Soil

Moist, reasonably fertile soil; tolerates clay, a wide range of pH and occasional waterlogging.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Flowers

Small, flat clusters of creamy-white flowers in late spring to early summer, sometimes followed by white berries.

Foliage

Grey-green leaves with irregular creamy-white margins; autumn colour is variable, sometimes pink or reddish purple.

Growth

Fast

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   4 ft (1.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during the first two growing seasons and whenever the root zone dries during summer.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch in spring, keeping it clear of the stem bases.
• Top-dress with compost in spring; use a balanced fertiliser only if growth is weak on poor soil.
• Remove unwanted rooted suckers where the shrub is spreading beyond its allotted space.
• Cut out any shoots with entirely green leaves at their point of origin.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove about one-third of the oldest stems at ground level to encourage colourful young growth while retaining some flowers. For a stronger winter-stem display, cut all stems to 6-12 in (15-30 cm) every one or two years once established; this sacrifices most flowers and berries.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable and moist; water well and mulch.

Winter

Check ties on any newly planted stock and remove broken or diseased stems.

Late winter to early spring

Thin out old stems or cut back established plants for fresh red growth.

Spring

Refresh mulch and top-dress with compost without burying the stem bases.

Summer

Water during dry spells and remove any all-green shoots.

Late autumn

Take hardwood cuttings from healthy young stems after leaf fall.

• Plant in groups against dark evergreen shrubs so the red winter stems remain clearly visible.
• Use at a pond margin or in a damp border, with the root crown above standing water.
• Place behind ferns and hostas to give a shaded border a pale, leafy backdrop.
• Grow as an informal boundary shrub where its broad habit and suckers have room to develop.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Winter interest, English country, Wildlife garden, White garden and Bog garden.

Plant it with: Hellebores, Snowdrops, Siberian iris, Hostas, Astilbes and Lady fern.

Wildlife: Flowers provide food for visiting insects, and birds may eat the berries. Dense growth offers shelter, although frequent hard pruning greatly reduces flowering and fruiting.

• Leaf scorch: brown leaf edges usually follow heat or dry soil; water deeply, mulch and provide afternoon shade in hot locations.
• Leaf spots: remove fallen affected leaves, avoid overhead watering and thin congested growth to improve airflow.
• Powdery mildew: improve airflow and prevent drought stress; light infections usually need no treatment.
• Stem canker or dieback: cut affected stems back to healthy wood during dry weather and clean pruning tools between cuts.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The berries are not intended as human food; discourage children and pets from eating them.

• Siberian dogwood (Cornus alba 'Sibirica')

  Also has bright red winter stems, but its leaves are green without the creamy-white margins.

• Midwinter Fire dogwood (Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire')

  Has plain green leaves and winter stems that grade from yellow and orange to red, rather than predominantly red stems.

• Variegated wedding cake tree (Cornus controversa 'Variegata')

  Develops into a much larger tree with distinct horizontal tiers of branches, rather than a thicket of upright red stems.

The species name alba means white, referring to the berries, while 'Elegantissima' means most elegant and the common name describes the variegated leaves and red bark.

Propagation. Take hardwood cuttings after leaf fall, or root softwood cuttings in early summer. Rooted suckers can also be lifted during dormancy. Seedlings will not reliably retain the cultivar's variegation.

Accepted botanical name

Cornus alba

In the US and Canada

Native in Alaska, Canada, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, China North-Central, China Southeast, Chita, East European Russia, Hainan, Inner Mongolia, Irkutsk and Khabarovsk.

Measured

Average height 300 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.